**How often have you and Kenny come up with differences that were irreconcilable?

Rick said that “I’m not going to lie, we have had our disagreements” and that was “likely to continue.” But he reiterated the two men work very well together and that he’s actually been most bothered when Kenny came up with a very good idea and Rick has castigated himself for not thinking of it first.

**The Jake Peavy deal surprised a lot of people because two years was a concession on his part. How often does concessions and compromise come into play?

Rick said that the deal wouldn’t have happened if Jake didn’t feel as strongly as he did about wanting to stay with the White Sox. That he and his agent did compromise. Rick mentioned that he’s heard from other G.M.’s since this was announced and that they all thought Peavy could have gotten more years and more money, that he would have had a “robust market” for his services. Rick said that Jake understood the risks for the White Sox if they were to go to a longer agreement… that the Sox had to maintain payroll flexibility. (My impression from the sound of Hahn’s voice as he was talking about this was that Rick, Jake and Jake’s agent seemed to genuinely get along and they all had mutual respect for each other which seriously impacts deals like this)

**How careful do you have to be in negotiations like this when you feel you have to offer or can only offer something that might be ‘below market’ value?

Rick said you do have to be aware of it, that you don’t want to insult the player or the agent or poison the atmosphere to the point where nothing can get done. He said when you are dealing with a player like Jake you can have a discussion like that. He said there can be times when you can’t even make an offer because the other person involved could possibly be insulted. He said agents exist for a reason and one of those is to temper expectations to be realistic. He said better agents always try to find common ground in discussions.

Submitted for all comments and discussions. It was very enjoyable to speak with Rick today!